Story
Amos was born in Micklefield in 1864, and was the son of William Whitaker (1824-1881) and Ann Mosby (1827-1896) who married in Sherburn on 26th January 1846. Many of the Whitaker family were involved in the 1896 disaster. Amos’s grandparents were Joseph Whitaker (1797-1858) and Hannah Stainburn (1802-1827). After Hannah passed away, Joseph remarried Jane Crosthwaite (1808-1880), and had further children including Joseph Whitaker who was also killed in the disaster, and Mary Whitaker, whose son William Naylor Whitaker also died after being rescued.
During the 1893 miners’ strike, Amos was one of many Micklefield miners involved in promoting awareness of their cause, and collecting charity donations to keep the miners’ families fed. Amos wrote a letter (below) to the Yorkshire Post to express his disappointment at the miners’ treatment in Selby. He displays eloquence, intelligence and good education. His letter was published in the Yorkshire Post on Wednesday 27th September 1893.
The following year in 1894, Amos married Ruth Ann Westerman (1874-1956). Ruth’s uncle was Robert Westerman who was also killed in the disaster. Her older sister, Sarah Westerman was married to Enoch Evans, who was one of the rescuers at the disaster along with his brother Moses Evans, and Ruth’s younger sister Clara Westerman later married Thomas Moakes, who was also a rescuer.
On Thursday 30th April 1896, Amos left home at 6:40am, and headed along the West Level, and down No.5 Dip. He was about to start work with Thomas Oakley, Elias Clark, William David Wilks, and two brothers: Joseph and Walter Jackson when the explosion occurred to their immediate North, about 570 metres from their location. They moved into a path that connected the No.4 dip with the No.5 dip, which had 4 sheets erected. The explosion carried down the No.5 dip, which was an intake. The six men in their path would have seen the explosion pass them on their left, it carried on round the back and then passed them again on their right, as it made its way back up the No.4 dip towards the West Level.
Amos and his five companions were unhurt by the explosion, but the No.4 and No.5 dips had sustained heavy damage in the blast, and they were the only two routes by which they could escape. The men did everything they could to survive. They rigged up a piece of brattice cloth at one end of the roadway to reduce the afterdamp they knew would follow the explosion. Their path had three South facing paths which they explored to no avail. Rescuers reported seeing the footprints of the six men in the dust as they tried to find a way out. Finding that all the gates were blocked, the six men sat down and covered their heads with cloth as afterdamp overwhelmed them.
Amos’s body was found by Arthur Cawood of 6 East View, Micklefield. Arthur’s brother George Carter Cawood was one of the men rescued. Arthur was in a rescue team which included William Wilson and Robert Routledge. He reported that Amos Whitaker had died with a smile on his face. The other men were either face down, or were resting their heads sideways on their hands, with elbows on the floor. Amos’ body was brought out of the mine at 3am on 1st May. His widow Ruth identified his body at the inquest, and said she had seen his dead body in the shed during the afternoon, and there were no marks about him, and then added in tears “he was just like himself.”
Amos was 32 years-old, and hadn’t had any children. His mother passed away shortly after on 15th December 1896. Amos is buried in Micklefield Churchyard with his parents. His epitaph reads: “He fell asleep in Jesus.”
Ruth re-married William C Sharp in 1899, and the couple lived at 13 East View Micklefield, and had two sons, before later moving to 40 Garden Village, then 22 Garden Village.
30th April 1896. The Peckfield Colliery Disaster at Micklefield 